From Race-cations to Racing for Redemption: Southeast Asian Athletes Fired Up to Take On IRONMAN Cairns 2025 Weekend
- Hana Basir
- Jun 14
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 4
A total of 64 athletes will be racing under Southeast Asian flags tomorrow, with the majority hailing from Singapore, followed closely by Malaysia—and they each have a story
The charming coastal town of Cairns, nestled in Queensland, Australia, is currently abuzz with excitement as IRONMAN Cairns 2025 looms on the horizon. It may be winter in Australia, but in Cairns, the sun still shines bright and the golden sands remain as inviting as ever—readying itself for thousands of athletes to toe the start line in the suburb of Palm Cove tomorrow.
Several of the Southeast Asian athletes shared with Sportplus.SG about their race plans, goals, and just what made them choose to race in Cairns—known as the Race in Paradise.
Singaporean Jinella Chua has done several 70.3 IRONMANs all over the world, and comes from a multisport family. Her sister, Jeri Chua was the first ever Singaporean to qualify for an IRONMAN World Championship, and serves as Jinella's inspiration. Tomorrow, the sports masseuse at Hello Physio be looking to make her triathlon comeback after time away from the sport.
You’re no stranger to triathlons and endurance sport, how does it feel to be in Cairns racing this weekend?
The weather—for one—is really good compared to a Southeast Asian race. It’s also really special for me as it’s been six months since my last race. I usually book a race once every quarter but life got in the way and I laid off for a little bit. This will be my first race back this year so I’m really excited to be here. I’m here with a really big group of Singaporeans and it’s really fun to race with friends. That’s one of the main reasons why I do this, so I can travel with my friends!
This is my first time doing the race in Cairns. I’ve done two races in Australia—Melbourne and Busselton, which was my first full IRONMAN. Cairns is beautiful. Compared to the other two cities, weather here is lovely. The area they chose for the race is nicely populated, there’s a lot of things to see and do.
What’s your strategy this weekend?
Don’t drown, don’t crash and finish the run even if you have to walk—and do it within the cutoff time!
In all seriousness, tomorrow is all about the pacing. For me, the mindset is getting the baseline numbers again so I can build up towards my next race.
Coming from a family of endurance athletes, how do they motivate you during your training blocks?
Well, my sister is the original Singaporean IRONWOMAN so I take a lot of inspiration from what she’s done. She’s done multiple IRONMANs and won her age group many times. For me, I’m just an ordinary age-grouper and I do this to get the holiday and the exercise in!
Knowing that I come from the same bloodline as somebody who’s up there though, I think I have something in me once in a while to push a bit harder.
What’s your goal for the race?
Enjoy the race. Every time I race, I like to smile at people and shout out encouragements. My sister told me to save my energy but I think sometimes, that energy is infectious. So, if I can pass it on to somebody who looks like they're dying on the course, that’s a win for me.
As someone who does IRONMANs all over the world, how is Cairns as a destination for Southeast Asians looking to take on an IRONMAN?
It’s a perfect race, especially for Singaporeans. The flight here is a simple direct flight. The timing is perfect. It’s the June school holidays so for those with kids, pack it in with a holiday. Bring the kids along and make it a family thing. I haven't started the race yet but I’d say Cairns is highly recommended.
As someone who’s been in sports all her life and who also a sports masseuse, how has competing in IRONMANs helped build you further into who you are today?
It helps me understand my body and the people I work on and work with. I work with a lot of athletes as well. When somebody comes up to me with a pain somewhere, I actually picture the whole process of how it got to that point. I think about how to fix them so they can race further and race harder.
Why should someone do an IRONMAN?
At least a half! Everyone should do one. Thinking back to my first race, you really discover a lot about yourself. Midway through the race, you think to yourself: "Why am I doing this? I will never do this again."
Then five minutes before the finish you think: "I’m so good at this, I can finish!" Then, you think about what's the next race you're going to sign up for. It tests your grit, it pushes you mentally and physically, but also teaches you what you're capable of and how much more you can do.
Norazian Abdul Manaf and her husband, J Iskandar Shah, flew in from Kuala Lumpur with two of their children and Nora’s sister in tow. Earlier this morning, the siblings proudly crossed the finish line at the IRONKIDs race—and now, it’s time to switch roles. Tomorrow, the kids will take their turn on the sidelines as cheerleaders, while Nora and Iskandar gear up to tackle their own race. For the family, this isn't what they call their first 'Tri-cation'. How did this triathlon family this come about?
How did the whole family get into multisport and participating in the IRONMAN?
Nora: Both of us started in relay triathlon. Slowly, we started doing individual (Nora’s first was the 5150 Sprint at IRONMAN Desaru in 2022). The kids started to grow and these two started following us. We trained them and all four of us got involved in multisport. We have three other kids but they’re not into multisport.
What motivated the kids to do IRONKIDS?
J Iskandar: They’ve been following us to our races and we started exposing them to multisport, triathlon in particular. Whenever they join us for overseas events, initially, we had to insist that they participate but now they look forward to it.
Nora: One of the best things for me is that at first, it was not that easy to get them involved but somehow got them to train. Each time after a race, they come up to us and say, “Mum, Dad, thanks for that experience." Despite the tough training, they’re always happy after the race, so it’s motivation for them.
How has it been training as a family?
J Iskandar: It's not easy. We have to strike a balance between family time, work, study and also training. They are part of their school athletics team so that’s a big help for us. On weekends, we do our bike sessions together. We participate in a lot of the fun runs which we also train and participate in together as a family.
What do you look forward to most at the race and what are your goals?
J Iskandar: I look forward to completing it. Like any other age group athlete, we are looking for a personal best. I hope it all goes well, no cramp, no nothing. I’ve been training for about three months so I hope I can get that personal best.
Nora: I just hope I finish strong in all the legs!
Any other plans in Cairns after the race as a family?
J Iskandar: It’s always a Trication! We’re planning to snorkel and dive in the Great Barrier Reef and check out the Kuranda Scenic Railway.
Amongst all 64 under a Southeast Asian nation, there lies one sole athlete repping the flag of the Philippines—and that is Christopher Arong. Though he has lived in Australia for close to 10 years, Christopher's Filipino pride has never wavered once.
As the only Filipino representative, how does it feel to be repping the flag tomorrow?
I’m really proud. There is an event in the Philippines now as well in Subic Bay so I guess everyone is there, and I’m the only one here! It’s really good to represent the Philippines and hopefully, I’ll do good and finish.
This is my sixth 70.3 and I already did one IRONMAN here in Cairns. I did one at the World Championships in New Zealand last year but I did not finish. The last time I raced in Cairns was last year. It’s always nice. I've lived in Australia now for almost 10 years and this is really a race in paradise.
What made you sign up for IRONMAN Cairns?
I promised myself I’d do this every year. Hopefully, it won't be my last year, we’ll see!
How have you been training for the race?
I’ve been training a lot! I work six days a week but I train six days a week too. You just need to make sure you recover. Sometimes, my co-workers ask why I’m always tired, and I say that’s my secret power!
What do you look forward to most at the race and what are your goals?
This is my redemption since I did not finish at the World Championships in November. I want to finish this time and hopefully, get a personal best.
How do you plan to celebrate after?
I promised myself to have a rum and coke after!
Jinella, Nora, Iskandar, and Christopher will be taking on the 70.3 IRONMAN tomorrow, lining up alongside the full IRONMAN athletes as both races set off from Palm Cove in the early hours of Sunday morning.
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